Smoke and Steam: A Steampunk Anthology

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Smoke and Steam: A Steampunk Anthology Page 2

by Karen Garvin


  Mary pointed in the direction where she had heard the screaming, and Roland caught the attention of one of the other men, who ran to investigate.

  "Don't you worry none, we will take care of it. So, little one, do you think you can walk on that nasty knee of yours?"

  "I think so."

  Mary took a step and almost collapsed, but Roland caught her, sweeping her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing.

  "Come on with me. You need tending to. My Alice, why she is a lovely healer. She will fix you right up."

  Mary tried to pay attention to everything at once as Roland carried her through the woods down a well-trodden path. After several minutes of walking, Mary got up the nerve to ask.

  "The wings, on your back. How do you fly with them?"

  Roland shrugged. "We use the air currents that swirl around the island to keep ourselves aloft, and there are heat vents from the volcano that makes up these islands. Is that what you meant?"

  "I suppose. Do you think I could learn to fly them one day?"

  "I don't see why not," Roland grunted. Mary liked the way Roland's mustache curled around into his mouth and he had to keep blowing it out almost like he was whispering. "You're kinda small though. You might have to wait a while before you do. Why, I bet my wings weigh more than you do."

  Mary smiled up at him. She had a million questions about the wings. How they worked. How you controlled them. How you launched yourself into the air. But she felt tired. Somewhere along the journey, she fell asleep.

  ***

  When Mary woke up, she lay in a comfortable bed, looking up at roughhewn timber that held up a ceiling of thin, plastered slats. A heavy quilt covered her and she was so hot she was sweating.

  Mary pushed the quilt off and tried to stand, but a hand pushed her back down.

  "Stay put child," a woman's voice said. "You need to do some more sweating."

  The quilt was spread up over her again, and Mary saw the woman who had spoken. She was a tiny woman, no more than a few inches taller than herself. She had beautiful auburn hair that fell below her shoulders in a tight braid she kept pulling over one shoulder.

  "Sweating?" It was the only word Mary could get out from under the stifling heat she felt.

  "Yes child, you had a fever when Roland brought you in. Sweating is the best way to get it out of you. Don't worry child, it will break soon. I know you must be uncomfortable."

  "Who..." Mary tried to sit up again, and again the woman pushed her down.

  "Alice. I'm Roland's wife. Stay. That's an order. Or do I have to get the dogs to come in and lay on you? They are friendly enough but they smell something terrible."

  Mary smiled. "I will stay, if I can have some water."

  "Yes, I suppose you are thirsty. Been here sweating for almost two days."

  Two days? Mary glanced around, remembering. The ship. Her parents.

  Alice shuffled from the room, carrying a small chamber pot with towels and other things.

  Mary lay there wondering if anyone had gotten off the ship. Surely, they had to be here someplace. If she had made it this far, there had to be others. So many questions rattled around in her head it hurt.

  Mary heard heavy footfalls coming toward her and looked to the door. Roland stepped through, his massive frame filling the doorway.

  "Yer awake. Good." Roland stepped through the door and sat carefully beside her on the bed, handing over a glass of water. "Drink slow, you ain't had much since we found you."

  Mary sipped at the cool water, almost gagging. A few sips and her throat started to clear itself. "Where are the others?"

  "What others?" Roland asked.

  "From the ship. Survivors. The woman I heard on the beach when I woke."

  Roland looked toward the ceiling. "Just you, little lass. Lots of bodies. Sorry little one."

  "The woman?"

  Roland grabbed the water glass when it grew unsteady in her hand. "She lived a time. But her injuries were too severe. We buried her with the others."

  Mary grabbed at a chain around her neck, and the locket that hung from it. "These people, did you see them among the dead?"

  Her world fell apart. Mary was shipwrecked someplace far from home, her parents were gone, her older sister as well. As far as Mary knew, she was all there was, except for Beatrice back in London.

  Roland took the locket from Mary and fumbled with his big fingers until he got it opened.

  "Sorry," he said, passing the locket back.

  Mary looked at the pictures inside. They had gotten wet and the layers had separated, and there were tiny crystals underneath the glass. With the pictures destroyed, Mary didn't even have that to remind her of them.

  Mary felt tired again, despite the heat of the room. She laid back on the soft pillow and closed her eyes. She felt Roland move from the bed and clunk his way across the room.

  "You rest up child. You will feel better on the morrow."

  ***

  Mary's eyes snapped open. The heavy quilt had been removed, replaced with just a thin blue blanket. She sat up, throwing her feet over the edge of the bed. She stretched her legs out and wiggled her toes; everything seemed to work. Mary looked around the room for her things.

  In one corner, there was a writing desk made of burled wood with a matching chair. A small white oil lamp sat on the desk, burning low and throwing shadows over the wood paneling in the room. A book shelf stood opposite the desk with various knick-knacks and a few books. Beside that, was a ladder-back chair that held Mary's clothes and boots, all folded and tidy.

  Mary walked across the chilly floor in her bare feet and slipped her clothes on, shedding the simple gown she wore. There was a moment of panic as Mary wondered who had put her in it. Mary pushed the thought aside and finished dressing.

  Once Mary was dressed, she examined herself in a small mirror attached to the back of the closed door. She looked presentable at least, she just wished she could do something about her hair. She used her fingers to try and comb out the long brown locks, wincing at all the tangles she found.

  There was a knock at the door. "Mary?"

  Roland's voice boomed through the door. "Are you awake yet? It's supper time and Alice reckons you should be up and moving now. You should eat something."

  Mary opened the door and jumped back, once again surprised by the imposing bulk of the man. His size seemed unnatural.Mary wondered how the wings she had seen on him had ever kept him aloft.

  "I'm starving," Mary told him. "It feels like I haven't eaten for days. Oh, I guess I haven't."

  Roland led the way down a narrow hallway into a main room with a long table at one end. The table was filled with all manner of food that smelled wonderful.

  Mary sat down and reached for a plate, then froze. "Umm, do you say prayers or anything? I don't normally, when I'm home."

  Home. Was she ever going to see it again?

  Alice smiled around the steaming hot bowl of potatoes in front of Mary. "Eat your fill. No god rules this house. We did our work. If anyone should be thanked, it should be us thanking ourselves."

  Mary didn't quite know what to say to that, so just grabbed a plate and started filling it. She wasn't even sure of some of the items, but grabbed them anyway, covering the whole mess with a layer of thick brown gravy.

  The three of them ate in silence, mostly with Roland and Alice watching Mary the whole time so she felt like an animal under inspection.

  "So, when is the next boat to the mainland?" Mary wiped her chin free of gravy and bit into a yeast roll.

  Roland and Alice exchanged looks. Alice shrugged and nodded at Roland.

  "No boats come here lass. Dangerous reefs circle the islands. Most know to stay away, I reckon. The ones that come close almost never come close enough to see with a spyglass. That's how we want it, though." Roland reached over and thumbed a bit of gravy from Mary's cheek.

  "Never? But how do you get to the mainland? It's the wings, right? You fly there? I bet that's a ho
ot and a half."

  Roland shook his head.

  "Mainland is hundreds of miles away. I'm not even sure how far. The wings would never make it that far. No hot air currents, you see. No strong ones anyway. Three generations on this island and no one has ever left. We came here to get away from all the hustle and bustle. We cut all ties with the mainland. We grow what we need, or we make it. No one ever comes here. That is, until you. You're something of a celebrity here. Everyone knows about you and can't wait to hear your story."

  Mary let that sink in. She knew what it meant, but had to say it out loud to make it real. "So, I'm stuck here? But, I need to get back to London. My baby sister is there. She is all I have left now. Now that..."

  It felt like a heavy hand had reached into Mary's chest and grabbed hold of her heart, her words hung heavily in the air. She felt like she could almost have reached out and grabbed them and stuffed them back into her mouth. Mary had to find a way back, there had to be something she could do.

  "Don't you have boats here?" She tried to sound hopeful.

  "Aye, lass. But nothing the size needed to make it across the ocean. We can travel between the other islands, but no further. And we just don't have the resources to make anything big enough to travel to the mainland, or even close."

  Mary leaned back in the chair and let that sink in. She was stuck here, wherever here was.

  "What am I going to do? Where will I live?" Mary had even more questions than before.

  Alice looked at Roland and cocked her head questioningly. Roland nodded back and then spoke. "If you would like, Alice and I would like you to stay with us. We have this big house, and no children. I know it doesn't look like much to someone who is used to the fanciness of London, but it is comfortable."

  Mary looked around the room. She loved how it all looked; cluttered and comfortable. She thought she could live here. It would take her some time to adjust, but she could live here.

  Mary nodded. "I'd like that, if you wouldn't mind."

  Alice smiled and jumped up, walked around the table and gave her a big hug. "Thank you."

  Roland stood and grabbed a wrapped bundle from a table in the corner of the room. He came back and handed the bundle to Mary.

  "Do you have your words," Roland asked.

  "Huh?"

  "Can you read and write?"

  "Oh, yes. I am twelve after all. I had a tutor who came daily to the house. My penmanship is quite advanced, so my tutor says."

  Mary unwrapped the bundle and found several blank notebooks and quills. She looked at Roland questioningly.

  "I figured, you know, you could maybe start a journal about yourself. I will get you some ink in the morning. When I was little, about your age, I found that keeping a journal helped me deal with some things very similar to what you are going through. I'm not saying that I understand exactly how you feel, but..."

  Mary sat the bundle down on the table and gave Roland a hug. Her arms didn't even reach around his massive body.

  "Do you have a school here?" Mary wanted to learn all about the island she was going to be spending her life on.

  "We do. I reckon you will want to be going then?"

  Mary nodded. She hoped they didn't think she was crazy for actually wanting to go to school.

  "So be it. All done eating then? Let's get you washed up and into bed. Looks like you could still use a bit of sleep. We will talk more in the morning."

  Roland took her hand and started to lead her back down the hall, but Alice grunted for attention behind them. They turned around. Alice walked up to Mary and looked her in the eyes. Mary could see a bit of sadness behind them.

  "You know, it's perfectly alright to cry for your parents. If you felt the need."

  Mary thought about that for a moment. She felt sad, but for some reason it just didn't feel like she was ready to cry. Not yet anyway.

  "I'm fine," she shrugged, and turned back down the hall. Why didn't she feel like crying?

  CHAPTER THREE

  Mary woke the next morning to the smell of bacon and was up in a shot. Despite the giant meal she'd eaten the night before, she was beyond starving once again. Growing girls needed their nourishment. She bounced from the bed and ran down the hall. Alice was just putting a plate on the table when Mary arrived .

  "Have a seat. You have a big day ahead of you," Alice said.

  Mary cocked her head in question.

  "Roland is going to take you into town to get you enrolled in school. I think you are going to do a bit of shopping today as well. You need clothes. Can't go around in the same old stuff every day."

  Mary dove into the bacon and fried eggs. There were more of the yeast rolls from the previous night, along with fried potatoes and milk to drink.

  Mary had a thought. "I... I don't have any money to pay for everything."

  Alice stopped and looked at her. "Well then. What can we do about that, hmm? I suppose, since you have no money, that you could do some odd jobs around here. Let's call them chores. You do these chores, and we will call it even for whatever you might cost us, OK?"

  Mary smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

  Mary was sopping up the last of the eggs with a roll when Roland came in, carrying a bundle of wood under one arm. He dropped the wood beside the hearth and looked at her.

  "Are you ready?"

  Mary nodded and jumped up from the table, running toward the door. She was eager to see the town, eager to see anything really.

  "Hold it, missy. Seems we have one of these chores we discussed," Alice said. "I think all these dishes need to be cleared."

  Mary turned to help, grabbing the utensils and throwing them into the sink. She scraped the scraps into a small dish Alice pointed out.

  "What do I do with this?" Mary asked, looking around for a trash can or something similar.

  "Ah, well. This is where you come across another of your chores. Come with me lass." Roland led the way outside.

  Besides a few blurry minutes on the beach and a half-remembered walk to the house, Mary really hadn't had a chance to see much of the outside at all.

  The house sat in the middle of a large patch of well-manicured grass that ran right up to massive trees that surrounded the whole property. The trees stretched high into the sky, perhaps 100 or even 150 feet , seeming to touch the clouds.

  Roland called out to Mary as he disappeared around the side of the house. Mary carried the scrap bowl around and saw a big dog sitting on top of a dog house. The dog hopped down and walked up to her. For just a moment she was frightened. Standing on all fours the dog looked her right in the eye, but it seemed to smile at her with a goofy look on its face.

  "Is everything on this island so big?"

  Roland laughed. "This here is Jake. Not sure what kind of dog he is. Mutt, I guess. Dumb too. Built him this nice big house so he wouldn't get wet in the rain. He ain't even stepped foot in it. Prefers sleeping on top. Durn fool."

  Mary stuck her hand out tentatively and Jake ignored it, instead putting a giant paw on her chest and pushing her down to get at the food she carried. Mary laughed and stood, brushing herself off as best she could.

  "He's going to be your responsibility. You gotta feed him and make sure he doesn't have any burrs in his fur. He likes to roam, just call his name though and he will come running."

  "Hello Jake," Mary scratched the dog behind his brown ears. The dog grunted and returned to his food.

  Once the bowl was empty, Jake lost interest and rushed off to the woods, baying like a hound dog Mary had once met. She picked up the bowl and rushed it inside while Roland waited.

  ***

  The pair walked for a while through a shady grove, passing a few houses along the way. From time to time Mary would see faces peeking from windows.

  "Don't pay them no mind, they are just interested. You're new, and not much new happens here. Why, I bet by now everyone on the farthest island knows of your arrival."

  Mary wasn't sure she felt comf
orted by his words. "How far away is that?"

  "Forty-five minutes, if you have a nice tailwind. I bet every messenger on duty has carried word of you."

  "You carry messages with the wings?"

  Roland nodded. "Yep, fastest way. Besides, how else would we get there?"

  Mary shrugged. "Boat?"

  "I told you, we have a few boats, slow and not very big. Resources on the islands are not great, so we have to watch them carefully. A boat would just take too much."

  They walked on in silence, with Mary staring wide-eyed at the houses and the people staring back. Mary started to notice the houses were growing closer together and soon found herself standing on top of a small hill overlooking a town that stretched off into the distance.

  Mary hadn't expected such a large place. She just always figured islands were small. From the top of the hill Mary couldn't see the edge of town on the farthest side. In the distance, however, she could see a single mountain that reached into the sky, its peak hidden in the clouds.

  "What's that called?" Mary asked.

  Roland looked up to where Mary pointed. "Devil's Lair. It's an ancient volcano. They say that is why this island exists. And why we have such strong up-currents for flying. The town there is called Hardyville."

  ***

  Once they reached Hardyville, Roland turned to Mary. "Go on and explore some. I've got a bit of business to take care of."

  Roland pulled a pocket watch out and held it up to his ear, smiling. He handed the watch to Mary. "Hang on to this for me. We will meet back here in one hour, OK?"

  Mary nodded as Roland turned to leave. She didn't really want to be left alone there, but she didn't want to argue with the big man either. She turned in a circle to get her bearings and fix the place in her mind. Mary started walking down the main street, looking in shop windows. Smells from a bakery drew her across the street, peeking in the window.

  The baker had stacked layer upon layer of cakes and pastries in the window for display. Mary was glad she didn't have any money or else she would become quite fat in a very short time. Did they even use money here? Surely, they did, but what kind? Mary added that to the ever-growing list of questions to ask Roland and Alice later.

 

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